Oh, how different the iconic film Dumb and Dumber could've looked. Gary Oldman and Nicolas Cage were initially considered for the main roles, while both Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels weren't exactly thrilled with their initial offers either.
In the following, we're going to take a closer look at what changed, and how Carrey was able to spike his salary to 20 times greater than the initial offer. We're also going to take a closer look at Jeff Daniels, and the difficulties he went through prior to accepting the role. Not only was the actor offered a low salary, but he was also discouraged by his team to take on the role. The belief was that his pursue of an Oscar would be ruined had he taken on such a role.
We'll reval how it all came together, and how Carrey broke one of his rules to get a sequel of the film done.
Jim Carrey Originally Turned Down $350,000 For Dumb And Dumber, But Saw A Huge Spike Once Ace Ventura Came Out
During a Q&A, directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly went into detail, looking back at Dumb and Dumber. Although the film turned into a cult-classic, there were major hurdles at one point in time behind the scenes.
Among them, included getting Jim Carrey onboard. He was initially offered $350,000, but was requesting $400,000. A major mistake, the studio held off and once Ace Ventura came out, Carrey's salary skyrocketed to 20 times higher of the initial offer. The number turned into $7 million.
Peter Farrelly reveals, “They offered him $350,000 to do the movie and he passed,” explains Peter Farrelly. “He wanted like $400,000. And they held off. And then Ace Ventura came out, which was his first movie and it was number one. So the studio said… ‘Okay, we’ll give you the 400.’ He said, ‘No, I want 500.’”
Carrey was able to pocket $7 million for the role and at the time, it was the most for a comedic actor. Despite his success with Ace Ventura, and how it changed his career, Jim wasn't interested in a sequel but as we'll reveal later, he played a major role in the followup for Dumb and Dumber many years later.
Jeff Daniels Wasn't As Lucky, With The Studio Giving The Actor A Low-Ball Offer Of $50,000
At the time of the film, Jeff Daniels' career was headed in a completely different direction. The actor was appearing in serious films and by his own admission, the goal was to chase an Oscar.
When Dumb and Dumber came around, he was heavily discouraged by his team to pursue such a role. Nonetheless, Daniels felt as though it was finally time to change things up.
“You know, I was doing a lot of dramas and heading towards an Oscars trail, whatever that is, and I just said, ‘I’m not doing what I was five years ago; I’m not interested.’ I am going to audition for that Dumb and Dumber thing."
The transition wasn't all that positive. The studio had some push back, wanting a comedy actor alongside Carrey. Therefore, they decided to give Daniels a low salary of $50,000. Given the opportunity alongside Carrey, he took it.
Bobby Farrelly explains, "They said, ‘Please, anyone but him. Get a comedic actor. So they offered him, if I recall, 50 grand, which was, you know, Jim’s getting seven mil, they offered him 50 figuring he’ll say, ‘No, I’m not taking that,’ but he took it."
Daniels did have some leverage in getting the role, as Jim Carrey was a huge advocate for securing the actor.
Jeff revealed, “There were comedians that wanted it, but he wanted an actor that would make him listen because he knew it was ping-pong, it was back and forth,” Daniels explained. “So I just let him lead, and [Daniels’ character] Harry Dunne was like on a half-second delay to whatever [Carrey’s character] Lloyd would do.”
Daniels added another layer to his work with the success in such a role, while it became one of the best box office films of 1994.
Jim Carrey Was The One Who Had A Pitched A Sequel Of Dumb And Dumber, Despite The Fact That He Isn't A Fan Of Sequels
Peter Farrelly made a major reveal, and it was related to Jim Carrey giving the Dumb and Dumber sequel life. Fans wanted it for years, and Carrey himself admitted he heard about the request constantly from fans. Nonetheless, the changing moment took place when Carrey was at a hotel, and caught the film on television.
Peter Farrelly tells Yahoo, ”Jim was in a hotel and he watched, it was on TV, and he flipped the tube on, watched it straight through and he thought, ‘We got to do another one."
The sequel was another fun watch for the fans, filled with nostalgia. It was clear that Daniels and Carrey hadn't lost that brilliant chemistry. Although that chemistry was almost not to be had it been for the studio.
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